The video makes for a good laugh. Its stars must be the most surfer-boy-looking activists east of Laguna Beach or Van Nuys. No dreadlocks or tie dye T-shirts for these would-be Occupiers.

And if the woman pushing the shopping cart is the hero of the piece, then she’s standing up for the well established American right to buy stuff you don’t need without some socially responsible a-hole trying to make you feel guilty about it.

This lady is the American Everywoman, a fighter for the freedom to shop.

And it’s all in the grand tradition of George W. Bush, who will go down in history for urging Americans after 9/11 to show the world that the terrorists can blow up our buildings but they can’t cut up our credit cards.

Doorbusting for Jesus

Yet again this year, back in the reality-based world, the moral tone set in the stores on Black Friday was less heroic than tragi-comic.

For proof, it’s hard to decide which video of a “doorbuster” sale is a more disgusting example of early morning bargain-hunters trampling their fellow shoppers as they push, scream and claw their way to deeply discounted iPhones, Xboxes and big-screen TVs. For example, this video from ABC News includes a shooting and an arrest but still manages to sound jaunty about big doorbuster deals on hot electronics.

Only at the holidays can you witness Americans displaying all the Seven Deadly Sins at the same time with the full blessing of both Caesar and the Pharisees. Joyeux Noël!

After all, it’s the time of year when Americans celebrate some homeless guy from two thousand years ago who hassled pay-day lenders, fed people for free on local seafood and ancient grains, and basically observed Buy Nothing Day all year round.

Freedom from shopping

Against itself, this clumsy video points the way to the real heroes of the holiday season: unions who stand up for underpaid workers, activists who stand up for maxed out consumers and the Occupy movement itself. Though the mainstream media would have you think that Occupy died when Mayor Bloomberg cleared Zuccotti Park, Occupiers around the country have been keeping busy.

These days, Occupy is doing less protesting and more helping. For instance:

Meanwhile, when it comes to Black Friday and holiday shopping, perhaps no voice has been more eloquent in spreading Occupy’s message that we can all free ourselves from corporate control by shopping less than Reverend Billy.

Rev. Billy is a performance artist who rains fire and brimstone down on the banks and big marketers who continue to push the consumerism that makes us all complicit in climate change and the extinction of species like the golden toad.

His 2007 documentary What Would Jesus Buy? is must-see TV for anyone who worries about commercialism of the season. If he can stay out of jail, look for the Reverend to lead his Church of Stop Shopping choir in front of busy stores this holiday season.

Erik Curren is the publisher of Transition Voice. He co-founded Transition Staunton Augusta in December 2009 and serves as managing partner of the Curren Media Group, an online marketing company. He is also …

Resilience is a program of Post Carbon Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the world transition away from fossil fuels and build sustainable, resilient communities. Content on this site is subject to our fair use notice.